Wenger reveals: I feel sorry for AVB

Andre Villas-Boas has been warned he faces the biggest test of his career as he tries to introduce his managerial philosophy at Chelsea.

Arsene Wenger was one of the first foreign managers to impose revolutionary ideas on an English club when he took over at Arsenal in 1996, and ­successfully transformed the club and veterans such as Tony Adams and Steve Bould.

Under-pressure Villas-Boas is striving to do the same at Chelsea with the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, changing their style of play to make it more attractive and introduce new disciplinary rules.

Wenger recalled some Gunners players thought he was “mad” as he changed their diets, and even introduced dancing lessons, but he was also to turn 'Boring, boring Arsenal' into the Premier League's no.1 footballing side and become the most successful manager in club history.

The Frenchman says that he admires ex-Porto boss Villas-Boas, but says the 34-year-old has his work cut out to win over the dressing room after a disappointing start to his ­Chelsea career.

“I have big sympathy for him," said Wenger. "I like him personally. I think he is intelligent, competent. He is like any manager would be - like I was at the start of the season - because results are not completely there.

“It is not easy, but in our job you can only survive if you do how you feel - if you can get it through to players or not. That is what I did. So for me, it was not too difficult.

“I was just convinced of what I wanted and I fortunate to face intelligent players. I had Steve Bould, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown - they are intelligent people, and they thought. 'Maybe this guy is completely mad but we will try - you never know'.

“It is hard to change a philosophy, but I believe when a manager has strong players in the squad and they share what he thinks, it makes him stronger. If they go against [him], it is difficult.”

Villas-Boas insists he has been assured his job is safe for the three years of his contract at Chelsea, even though with him owner Roman Abramovich is onto his seventh manager in his eight years at Stamford Bridge.

Wenger believes AVB will get the job done - if he is afforded time and patience.

“You can only think that he’ll get it right,” he said. "As a manager he is at the start of his career. He is at a big club. Age can be a handicap on both sides.

"When you are young, they say you are too young. When you are old, they say, He is too old.'

“It’s down basically to the club to make the right decision.

"That’s where the big clubs make a difference with the smaller clubs.The smaller clubs sometimes just give in, and that’s where you need a strong club.

"I feel fortunate to be in a club where they can resist pressure.”